Operational Strategy Manager

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This role will involve:

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Ensuring seamless integration and collaboration across the Vaccines and Countermeasures Delivery (VCD) and counterpart areas to ensure there is one UKHSA voice.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and set near and longer-term operational strategy interventions for vaccines and countermeasures supply, procurement and operations as required.  Anticipate future needs and drive improvement efforts. Support Senior Officials, UKHSA CEX and Ministers to continually assess whether approach to vaccine strategy meets standards for both optimal health outcomes and best use of public resources.  Oversee strategic business case input and drafting for cross cutting new, high value or novel vaccine programmes.  Work with commercial and clinical teams to consider market developments such as combined vaccines or different administration approaches. 
• End to End Systems Design: Shape and support work for end-to-end systems design of new approaches to delivering vaccines and countermeasures initiatives. Establish approach for procurement of high value or novel vaccine programmes on a four nations basis accounting for the introduction of different approaches i.e. the MSP.  This includes triaging NHS, DHSC and clinical (i.e., JCVI) advice to determine future campaign need (i.e. cohorts) and procurement objectives.   
• Spending Review, Business Planning: VCD’s strategic approach and profiling for the next Spending Review and ensure there is a managed forward look for current and future priorities and Ministerial requirements, (including via any change of Government post-election). Support the development of business planning as relates to strategic objectives alongside PMO and wider Directorate central functions.
• External Collaboration: Serving as the primary contact point for vaccines and countermeasures delivery, and working across UKHSA to brief Ministers, engage in policy discussions with DHSC, discuss strategy with NHS, and collaborate with Devolved Governments policy counterparts. Determine (with DHSC) future vaccine and countermeasures operational policy and strategy across programmes. Connecting the work of VCD with wider HMG departments and priorities as relevant including with Cabinet Office, HMT and Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT).
• Internal Coordination: Integrating expertise from team members as needed and acting as a triage point for external inquiries.
• To track and support the strategy for key high value, new or novel vaccines and countermeasures programmes. Ensure that a wide range of inputs or considered, including; clinical modelling, policy and deployment thinking, as well as structures for decision making, and that proposals are evidence based.
• Support the scoping and prioritisation of new strategy questions and requirements as they emerge; horizon scanning for change (both domestic and international) and understanding its impact. You will do this through influencing and informing discussions at different levels and developing products for, or presenting to, key governance forums.
• Complete regular reporting, VCD governance processes and support the UKHSA Vaccine Board.
• Progress current policy and future decision making by drafting timely, and impartial written briefs for senior stakeholders and Ministers. Input into and commission relevant briefs to support the development of the strategy and policy areas in your area of responsibility for VCD.
• Shape work on Devolved Government relationships where central procurement is required. Where needed, design and conduct workshops with the Devolved Governments and involve wider stakeholders where necessary to inform approach.
• Input into and coordinate relevant briefs for strategy and policy areas under your area of responsibility within the VCD. Where applicable representing the Operational Strategy team or wider VCD in various forums.
• Build collaborative relationships and conduct extensive engagement with a wide range of relevant stakeholders across the UKHSA, Whitehall and the private sector.
• Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan.  Attending internal / external training events.
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training. 

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience supporting the delivery of change within a project or organisation
• Drafting high quality submissions and written briefs
  
• Strong track record developing and delivery policy and strategy
• Excellent stakeholder management skills and experience in building new networks
• Confident communicator with an ability to work autonomously in high paced environments
• Proficient in PowerPoint and Excel
  

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.

Stage 1 - Application & Sift:

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the 6 essential criteria listed, and this will be in the form of a: